Travel

Spooky Spots

Take a road trip near or far to destinations with stories to tell Article and Photography by Tiffany Killoren If there’s something strange in your neighborhood | If there’s something weird and it don’t look good … No need to call a ghostbuster. The sites below are part of our area’s rich history and lore — places that continue to draw visitors from near and far with their rich stories, striking architecture, and compelling ties to the past. If you love a good ghost story this time of year...

Food + Beverage

A Gathering Place

Prima Facie in Parkville is serving more than just food — it's fostering community Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Hannah Schreiner Heather and Leon Versfeld didn’t exactly set out to open a restaurant when they bought a building in Parkville in 2022.  The space was initially purchased for Leon’s law firm, Versfeld & Hugo. Because it had extra space, a great location and a drive-up window from being a former bank, Heather suggested they add a coffee shop. Leon, ever the visionary...

Local Services

Fighting Food Waste

Kanbe’s community-rooted food access model celebrates expansion into the Northland Article by Patrick Mulvihill | Photography by Anna Petrow If you told Max Kaniger a decade ago that he’d soon be running one of the region’s fastest-growing and most impactful nonprofits, he might not have believed you. But a simple yet substantial idea he had in 2015 sparked Kanbe’s Markets, an organization that just opened its 100th location — to build a more inclusive food system by transforming food loss...

Food + Beverage

Black Flamingo Mai Tai

Article and Photography by Katie Currid If you stop by the Waterman’s Black Flamingo Underground Oasis in Northtown, chances are they’ll serve you this drink. Tiki isn't all about cocktails, but they’re definitely a part of the experience. Mai Tais can sometimes be a divisive topic among tiki aficionados, and this one adheres more closely to the original Mai Tai, meaning it's more rum-focused and doesn’t include pineapple juice, so it isn't overly sweet. Careful — it’s a stiff one!  Black...

Home + Design

Basement Oasis

The Black Flamingo home tiki bar is a full-on tropical escape Article and Photography by Katie Currid In tornado alley, a basement is a must. And if you have to go down to the basement for the inevitable tornado watch or warning, Jordan and Morgan Waterman’s house is the place to do it. Because if you have to shelter from the storm — well, wouldn’t you want to do it in a tiki bar? Pull up to Jordan and Morgan’s 1920s house in their quiet Northtown neighborhood, and you wouldn’t suspect...

Home + Design

Turn Over a New Leaf

Larry's Nursery gives tips on finding the right plant for your home Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Hannah Schreiner As we creep towards the cooler, darker months of fall and winter, we’re all looking for ways to bring warmth, life, and color into our space. Styling your home with houseplants can help you create a tropical escape from the harsh cold outside your door. For new houseplant parents, selecting the right varieties can be daunting. Finding the right specimen for your light...

Shopping

Where Happy Hour Never Ends

Meet the Kansas City brand turning vacation vibes into a full-blown lifestyle — one soft shirt at a time Article and Photography by Jennifer Kirby Vacation. Imagine the breeze blowing through your hair. A drink in your hand. Nowhere to be and all day to get there. Now imagine you’re wearing the softest shirt you own. Team Cocktail ’s shirts are softer.  In 2009, Lyndsey Fliehs, along with her brother Trey Fliehs and a group of friends (self-named Team Cocktail), traveled to Barbados. They...

Arts + Culture

Playfully Inspired

St. Joe’s new children's museum turns everyday play into imagination-powered discovery. Article by Diana Lambdin Meyer | Photography by Bruce N. Meyer There’s a new lemonade stand in downtown St. Joseph, perfect for visiting on a hot summer day or any time of the year. It’s not going anywhere. The lemonade stand has become one of the more popular activities at inspireU , a new children’s museum at the corner of Fifth and Felix streets downtown. Four stories of exhibits and activities...

Arts + Culture

Art Starts Here

Orange Easel gives young creators a space to explore, express, and thrive Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Courtesy of Orange Easel When Allison May Jensen launched an art studio in her basement in 2012, she had no grand plan — just a passion for art and a deep desire to give children what her childhood art teacher, Mrs. Funk, once gave her: a space to create freely and feel seen as an artist. From those humble roots, Orange Easel has grown into one of the Northland’s most beloved...

Home + Design

Kids Live Here

A Lake Waukomis home blends style with kid-friendliness Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Hannah Schreiner When Carly and Brady Skjervem bought their Lake Waukomis home in 2022, they knew it had the bones to become something special. As seasoned renovators, they’d gutted and overhauled homes together before, but this time was different. “This was our first house that hasn’t been a full reno,” Carly says. “The base of the home was so great.”  The Lake Waukomis home was actually the...